Steam generator for motor-vehicle heaters



July 22, 1930.

J. H. GOULD STEAM GENERATOR FOR MOTOR VEHICLE HEATERS Original Filed Dec. 30. 1926 Patented July 22, 1930 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE JOHN H. GOULD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MCGORD RADIATOR & MFG. 60., OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MAINE STEAM GENERATOR EOR MOTOR-VEHICLE HEATERS Ori inal annlication filed December 30, 1926, Serial No. 158,114. Divided and this application filed September 22, 1927.

In my copending application seflal N d'.

158,114., filed December 30, 1926, I have disnected with the liquid cooling system of the motor vehicle engine so as to receive its liq uid supply therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to have the inlet for liquids in the steam forming chamber of the generator at a" lower point than the outlet for steam, so that there is no opportunity afiorded for the liquids to seal or interfere with the steam outlet.

Another object of my invention is to make the steam forming chamber of the generator tubular in form so that the exhaust gases from the engine may flow both through and around the outside of said chamber for effectively heating the same.

Another object of my invention is to make this chamber and the outer casing in which it is located of sheet metal and to provide corrugations therein so as to allow for the expansion and contraction of the casing and chamber under the differences in temperatures to which they are subjected.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figs. 1 and 1 are more or less diagrammatic views of the heater and generator assembly constructed in accordance with my invention as applied to a motor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the generator; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the generator on line 33 of Fig. .2.

In Fig. 1, 1 indicates conventionally an internal combustion engine ofthe type usually employed on motor vehicles and having Serial No. 221,258.

a radiator 2 in front of the same as a part of the cooling system of the engine, said radiator being connected with the water jacket of the engine by suitable conduits 3, 4, as customary in assemblies of this general kind. The engine has an exhaust manifold 5, to which is connected an exhaust pipe 6, the latter leading back under the floor 7 of the ve hicle and terminating in a muitler 8 adjacent the rear end thereof, as customary.

Associated with the exhaust pipe 6 is a steam generator 9 of my invention. As shown in the drawings, the generator comprises a steam forming chamber 10 located within an outer casing 11 and extending lengthwise thereof. The exhaust gases from the engine 1 are passed through the casing 11 so as to heat the chamber 10, said casing being set in the exhaust pipe 6 and forming a art thereof, as shown.

he casing 11 is larger in diameter than the chamber 10 so that the exhaust gases may pass through the casing 11 about the outside of the chamber 10 and contact with the outer wall thereof. The chamber 10 is also made tubular so that the exhaust gases may also pass through it and contact with its inner wall. The chamber 10 has an inlet connection 12 at one end for liquids and an outlet connection 13 at its opposite end for steam. The chamber 10 is disposed in the casing 11 so that the inlet connection 12 is below the outlet connection 13. These connections extend through the casing 11 and support the chamber 10 therein preferably at an inclination to the axis thereof and with the connection 12 at the lower end of the chamber so that liquids will accumulate at such lower end and thus not interfere with or seal the steam outlet 13.

The chamber 10 and casing 11 may be made of sheet metal or tubing and, when so made, the connections 12 and 13 are welded to the chamber and easing, respectively. When of sheet metal or tubing, the chamber 10 and casing 11 are so constructed that they may expand and contract under the different temperatures to which they are subjected. For this purpose the inner wall 14 of the chamber 10 is provided with corrugations 15, 15

- ends of t e chamber.

extendin about the same adjacent opposite The casing 11 is provided with two sets of corrugations 16, 16 which extend about the same adjacent its opposite ends, preferably between the inlet 4 and outlet connections '12, 13, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Water for the generator 9 is preferably taken from the liquid cooling system of the engine through a pipe 17, which is connected at one end with the liquid intake 12 of the generator and at the opposite end with the'water jacket of the engine through a trap 18 andassociated turning plug assembly. 19. This construction is more clearly shown and described in my copending application, as aforesaid, and, as my present invention does not relate to it, I need not describe it herein. It is thought sufiicient to say that the structure is such that measured quantities of water are taken from the cooling system and supplied to the generator in the manipulation of the turning plug. From the water supplied to the generator steam is produced therein by-the heat of the exhaust gases from the engine, and such steam is supplied to the heater 20 which is set in the floor 7 of the car and is connected by a pipe or conduit 21 with the steam outlet 7 13 of the generator. The heater assembly'is also illustrated and described in my copending application.

A pipe 22 extends upward from the upper end of the trap 18 to above the water level a of the cooling system. There are a number of heat radiating fins 23, 23 on the upper portion of the pipe, soas to serve as a condenser for any steam which may enter the pipe through the trap during the operation of the system.

The pipe 22 hasv an expansion chamber 24 at its upper end, and this chamber has a vent 25 to the atmosphere, which vent is controlled by a thermostatically actuated valve located be supplied to the steam already formed and in that way raise the temperature of the latter to secure'the most effective heating of the interior of the car through the heater 20.

The details of structure shown and described may be variously changed-and modifiedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

A steam generator adapted to be connected with a motor vehicle heater for supplying steam thereto, said generator having an outer casing adapted to have the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine pass therethrough, and a tubular steam forming chamber located in said casing and disposed to have the exhaust gases pass through the same, said casing and said chamber being formed of sheet metal with corrugations therein to allow for the expansion and'contraction of the casing and chamber under the differences of temperature to which they are subjected, said chamber having its inlet for liquids in the lower portion of the chamber and its outlet {)or steam in the upper portion of said cham- In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN H. GOULD.

in the expansion chamber. This structure is also fully described in my copending application.

My improved generator is relatively light in Weight and thus may be incorporated directly in the exhaust pipe and be carried thereby without placing any extra burden on the exhaust pipe. Moreover, the generator is so constucted that the heat of the exhaust gases passing therethrough will convert any liquids supplied to the generator into steam for the purpose of heating the interior of the vehicle through the heater 20, which has a thermostatically controlled air vent 26, which is more fully described and shownin my copending application. v

The heater is so constructed that only a relatively small amount of liquid is required to generate the steam and superheated steam vapors will be obtained, because the chamber 10 is not flooded or completely filled with liquids during the steaming operation, thus permitting the heat from the exhaust gases to 

